Laptop Docking Stations?
in [Laptops]
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From: Roger Mills on 9 Feb 2010 08:54 About 10 years ago, before I retired, I was supplied with a works laptop plus docking station - the laptop was a Toshiba Tecra something or other - running Win95 in those days! The docking station effectively converted the laptop into a desktop machine, having ports for monitor, keyboard, mouse, power supply, network, etc. - which remained permanently connected, and the laptop had a multi-pin connector - with all necessary connections on it - to connect it to the docking station. It was thus a 5 second job to un-dock the laptop to take it home at night, and to re-dock it the next morning. Are such devices still available and, if so, can anyone point me at a make and model of laptop which supports this? I want a laptop which I can use - effectively as a desktop machine - at either of two locations, with as little setting up as possible. I'm happy to duplicate things like external monitors, speakers, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, power supplies etc. I'm aware that *some* of this could potentially be achieved using USB hubs - with various peripherals being left plugged into a hub when the laptop is not present - but that wouldn't cover things like monitors, power supplies, PS2-type keyboards and mice (if anyone uses those these days - I certainly do on my existing computers!) Any relevant information will be greatly appreciated. -- Cheers, Roger _______ Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom checked.
From: BillW50 on 9 Feb 2010 09:19 In news:7td7o8FiflU1(a)mid.individual.net, Roger Mills typed on Tue, 9 Feb 2010 13:54:05 -0000: > About 10 years ago, before I retired, I was supplied with a works > laptop plus docking station - the laptop was a Toshiba Tecra > something or other - running Win95 in those days! > > The docking station effectively converted the laptop into a desktop > machine, having ports for monitor, keyboard, mouse, power supply, > network, etc. - which remained permanently connected, and the laptop > had a multi-pin connector - with all necessary connections on it - to > connect it to the docking station. It was thus a 5 second job to > un-dock the laptop to take it home at night, and to re-dock it the > next morning. > Are such devices still available and, if so, can anyone point me at a > make and model of laptop which supports this? I want a laptop which I > can use - effectively as a desktop machine - at either of two > locations, with as little setting up as possible. I'm happy to > duplicate things like external monitors, speakers, printers, > scanners, keyboards, mice, power supplies etc. I'm aware that *some* > of this could potentially be achieved using USB hubs - with various > peripherals being left plugged into a hub when the laptop is not > present - but that wouldn't cover things like monitors, power > supplies, PS2-type keyboards and mice (if anyone uses those these > days - I certainly do on my existing computers!) > Any relevant information will be greatly appreciated. Yes Roger! They are still around. Although they are usually found in the business class of laptops and not often on the consumer line of laptops. For example, my Gateway M465e offers a docking station (and I have one). Yet my three Gateway MX6124 are almost the same machine, but they don't have this option. Although is a docking station really important? I don't know, as I use both methods. And I usually only have to remove three cables for a non-docking laptop (VGA, power, and USB). And I don't see this as a real big deal. Although you use external speakers and PS/2 devices too, so that might make the difference. -- Bill Asus EEE PC 702G8 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC Windows XP SP2
From: Pen on 9 Feb 2010 13:30 On 2/9/2010 8:54 AM, Roger Mills wrote: > About 10 years ago, before I retired, I was supplied with a works laptop > plus docking station - the laptop was a Toshiba Tecra something or other - > running Win95 in those days! > > The docking station effectively converted the laptop into a desktop machine, > having ports for monitor, keyboard, mouse, power supply, network, etc. - > which remained permanently connected, and the laptop had a multi-pin > connector - with all necessary connections on it - to connect it to the > docking station. It was thus a 5 second job to un-dock the laptop to take it > home at night, and to re-dock it the next morning. > > Are such devices still available and, if so, can anyone point me at a make > and model of laptop which supports this? I want a laptop which I can use - > effectively as a desktop machine - at either of two locations, with as > little setting up as possible. I'm happy to duplicate things like external > monitors, speakers, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, power supplies etc. > I'm aware that *some* of this could potentially be achieved using USB hubs - > with various peripherals being left plugged into a hub when the laptop is > not present - but that wouldn't cover things like monitors, power supplies, > PS2-type keyboards and mice (if anyone uses those these days - I certainly > do on my existing computers!) > > Any relevant information will be greatly appreciated. Dell through their Small Business site offers several. Take a look at the Latitude and Precision lines. Docks are listed here; http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?c=us&category_id=5441&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
From: Roger Mills on 9 Feb 2010 17:23 In an earlier contribution to this discussion, Pen <nospam(a)nospam.net> wrote: > Dell through their Small Business site offers several. > Take a look at the Latitude and Precision lines. > Docks are listed here; > http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?c=us&category_id=5441&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd Thanks for the link. I'll have a look to see what is available in the UK. -- Cheers, Roger _______ Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom checked.
From: Bill on 9 Feb 2010 18:31 In message <7te5k0F4lvU1(a)mid.individual.net>, Roger Mills <watt.tyler(a)googlemail.com> writes >Thanks for the link. I'll have a look to see what is available in the >UK. For info, about a year ago I bought a Targus docking station reduced in Tesco for �12.99. It connects by usb to the laptop and provides audio, ethernet, mouse & keyboard and multiple usb ports, which are left powered from its power supply when the laptop isn't there. I haven't actually used it yet, but it seems to me that you would just bring along the laptop, plug the usb (and perhaps an external monitor) in and be fit to go. -- Bill
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